Dial for timepieces



Sept. 1, 1964 v M. ETIENNE 3,146,578

- DIAL FOR TIMEPIECES Filed NOV. 13, 1962 Inv'enCOr I Ma 1 45 Ehtinne 5United States Patent .0 F

3,146,578 DIAL FOR TINIEPIECES Marius Etienne, Bienne, Switzerland,assignor to Montres Octo S.A., Bienne, Switzerland Filed Nov. 13, 1962,Ser. No. 236,904 Claims priority, application, Switzerland, Nov. 16,1961, 13,324/ 61 7 Claims. (Cl. 5850) This invention relates to dialsfor timepieces and in particular to dials adapted for permitting thereading of the time in darkness.

In the manufacture of dials for timepieces and in particular forwrist-watches, the aesthetic effect is most important. Thus, the dialsarranged for permitting the reading of the time in darkness and whichare, therefore, provided with a luminescent material, are arranged insuch a manner that the greenish-yellow luminescent materialwill not bevisible in daylight. For this purpose, very small lodgings are providedin the dial plate and the luminescent material is located in theselodgings. In order that these small points of luminescent material areclearly visible in darkness, the dial manufacturers are wont to use aluminescent material which is strongly radioactive.

To permit the reading of the time in darkness, it does, however, notsuffice to provide the dial with luminous points located, for instance,opposite the hour marks; at least one luminous reference mark must stillbe provided to permit the convenient orientation of the dial, inparticular for reading the time when one wakes up in an untowardposition.

With the known dials, these reference marks generally consist of pointswhich are more luminous than the remaining ones on the dial. There isusually only one luminous reference point on the dial which is locatedopposite the mark indicating twelve oclock. Sometimes, there are,however, also four such reference points located opposite the fourquarters of the dial.

Since the effective power of a light source has to be substantiallyincreased in order that a human eye perceives a small increase of thebrightness of this source, the reference points which permit theorientation of the dial must, accordingly, contain much more luminescentmaterial than the other luminescent points of the dial. If a poorlyradio-active material is used, the elements permitting the orientationof the dial must be provided with such a quantity of luminescentmaterial that the aesthetic effect of the dial in daylight will becompromised. With a strongly radio-active luminescent material, however,the elements permitting the orientation of the dial substantially increase the risk of causing physiological disturbances to the watch wearer.

'It is therefore, an object of this invention to provide a dial whichcan permit the reading of the time in darkness and which can, for thispurpose, be conveniently oriented without having to resort toluminescent elements which can be differentiated from one another indarkness by means of their brightness.

The dial according to the invention is characterized by at least oneorienting member which is movable relative to the dial, which startsmoving and moves then in a visible manner on either side of a referencepoint of the dial every time the timepiece is brought into the field ofvision for purposes of reading the time, which persists in moving duringthe time reading and which can be made luminous.

To confer the adequate mobility to the orienting member of the dialaccording to the invention, an orienting member consisting of a smallmass connected to the dial by means of a resilient member which tends tokeep this 3,145,578 Patented Sept. 1, 1964 ice mass in coincidence withsaid reference point of the dial can advantageously be used.

The orienting member will preferably form a part of a mark located onthe dial and, more particularly, of the mark indicating twelve oclock.Finally, it is possible to avoid any disturbance of the aesthetic effectof the dial in daylight by applying to the latter a mark such as atrademark or horal division and containing a figurative motif. With anorienting member, particularly consisting of a small mass connected tothe dial by means of a resilient member, this small mass and saidresilient member will advantageously constitute an integral part of thefigurative motif.

Further objects of the invention will become apparent to those skilledin the art in the course of the following description.

One embodiment of the dial according to the invention is representeddiagrammatically and by way of example in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of this embodiment and FIG. 2 is a perspectiveview on a larger scale of one mark of the dial represented in FIG. 1.

The dial 1 represented in the drawings carries twelve horal marks 2which consist of metal members fixed to the dial in a manner well knownto those skilled in the art. The mark 2 indicating twelve oclock is cutin the shape of a stylized butterfly. Opposite every other mark 2, thedial 1 comprises small amounts 3 of luminescent material. This materialcan be applied as a drop to the upper face of .the dial 1. It can,alternatively, be let into the surface by means of either lodgingsprovided in this surface or bores pierced through the dial. These elevenluminous points are consequently fixed.

In order that the dial can be conveniently oriented in darkness,movable, luminous points are provided opposite the mark indicatingtwelve oclock. For this purpose, two springs 4 representing the antennaeof the butterfly are associated with the horal mark constituted by thelatter. As shown in FIG. 2, the springs 4 are coil springs having oneend fixed to the dial by passing under the corresponding mark 2. Thefixed ends of springs 4 can either be glued or soldered to mark 2, oreven merely clamped eitherbetween the latter and the dial or betweenmark 2 and a small plate inserted between the latter and the dial. Attheir free ends springs 4 carry hemispheric small masses 5 which can,for instance, be glued. The weight of these masses is chosen withrespect to the specific characteristics of springs 4 in such a mannerthat the masses 5 will start moving as soon as the state of movement orof rest of dial 1 changes and that they will persist in moving when thedial is held immobile for purposes of, for instance, reading the time,after its having been moved, for example, in order to bring it into thefield of vision for the purpose of said reading. The movement of masses5 is an oscillation on either side of the position represented in thedrawings which constitutes a reference point indicating the location ofthe mark 12 on the dial. Moreover, the oscillatory motion of masses 5produced by the arm movements must, of course, also have a sufi'icientamplitude so that the displacements of these masses are visible.

The masses 5 can serve as carriers for luminescent material. Thismaterial can be applied to the upper surface of said masses, inparticular if the latter are constituted by metal bodies. The masses 5can also be made of plastics and the luminescent material be embedded inthese masses. Finally, the masses 5 could be given the shape of shellsprovided with a bore in their middle and the luminescent material belocated therein so as to be as little apparent as possible in daylight.

Whichever mode of application of the luminescent material on masses 5 isresorted to, the quantity of luminescent material used can be smallerthan the amounts 3, since the locating of the 12 on the dial in darknessis not ensured by the brightness of the luminescent points provided atthat place, but by their mobility. The springs 4 and the masses 5, Whichcan serve as orienting members in darkness, in no way compromise theaesthetic effect of the dial in daylight. On the contrary, theseelements, which constitute an integral part of the figurative motifconsisting of the mark 2 representing twelve oclock, even have theadvantage of providing a certain animation of this motif.

The horal mark comprising one of several movable orienting members couldobviously also comprise a figurative motif other than that representedin the drawings, for example, another animal such as a ladybird, a bee,etc. The coil springs could also be replaced by other resilient memberssuch as, for instance, thin blades. Instead of representing theantennae, these springs could also illustrate other animal parts, suchas, for instance, the wings, the mandibles, the legs, etc.

Instead of an animal, the horal mark in question could also represent,for instance, a plant or any other object of which one part or theobject in its entirety would be movable relative to the dial.

Furthermore, the dial according .to the invention could comprise severalmarks provided with movable members (for instance, four marks located:at the four quarters) instead of a single one, these marks, thereby,not all being necessarily horal divisions, but, possibly, comprising atrademark indication or any further indication usually carried by thedial and being able to .serve as reference for ensuring the convenientorientation of the dial when reading the time.

In contradistinction to the last-mentioned alternative, the use of asingle, movable element which is judiciously located on the dial, wouldobviously already sulfice to permit its orientation in darkness.

It should, finally, be understood that the mobility of the orientingmember provided on the dial could also be ensured by means other than aspring. This member could, thus, consist of a pendulum constituted by amass connected to the dial by means of a thread, or by a mass enclosedin a lodging which would permit this mass to oscillate about apredetermined reference point.

Still further modifications of the sizes, shape and arrangement of partswill appear obvious to those skilled in the art, within the scope of theappended claims.

I claim:

1. In 'a timepiece, in combination, a dial carrying an horal divisionand having a reference point in a predetermined position relative to thehoral division, a movable orienting member on said dial constituted by amassive receptacle for luminescent material, and resilient meansconnecting said orienting member to the dial and permitting thisorienting member to oscillate ina visible manner on either side of saidreference point.

2. In a timepiece, in combination, a dial carrying an horal division andhaving a reference point in a predetermined position relative to thehoral division, a movable orienting member on said dial constituted by amassive receptacle for luminescent material, and resilient meansconnecting said orienting member to said dial, said resilient meansbeing adapted so as to keep said member in coincidence with saidreference point when the dial is at rest and so as to permit said memberto oscillate on either side of said reference point upon submitting thedial to an acceleration.

3. On a dial for timepieces, an orienting member consisting of a massivereceptacle for luminescent material and binding means connecting saidmassive receptacle to the dial so as to permit said receptacle to moveby inertia in a visible manner about a reference point of the dial uponsubmitting the dial to an acceleration.

4. On a dial for timepieces, an orienting member consisting of a massivereceptacle for luminescent material and resilient means connecting saidmassive receptacle to the dial so as to tend to keep said massivereceptacle in coincidence with a reference point of the dial, but so asto permit said receptacle to move by inertia in a visible manner oneither side of said reference point of the dial upon submitting the dialto an acceleration.

5. On a timepiece dial carrying a standard mark, an orienting memberforming part of said mark and consisting of a massive receptacle forluminescent material, and binding means connecting said massivereceptacle to said standard mark carried by the dial so as .to permitsaid receptacle to move by inertia in a visible manner about a referencepoint of the dial upon submitting the dial to an acceleration.

6. On a timepiece dial carrying an horal division indicating twelveoclock, an orienting member forming part of said horal division andconsisting of a massive receptacle for luminescent material, and bindingmeans con necting said massive receptacle to said horal division so asto permit said receptacle to move by inertia in a visible manner about areference point of the dial upon submitting the dial to an acceleration.

7. On a timepiece dial carrying a fixed mark forming part of afigurative motif, an orienting'member forming an integral part of saidfigurative motif and consisting of a massive receptacle for luminescentmaterial, and resilient means also forming an integral part .of saidfigurative motif and connecting said orienting member to said fixed markso as to tend to keep said orienting member in coincidence With areference point of the dial, but so as to permit said orienting memberto move by inertia in a visible manner on either side of said referencepoint of the dial upon submitting the dial to an acceleration.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,988,870 Tupone June '20, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 279,960 Switzerland Apr.1, 1952 309,242 Switzerland Nov. 1, 1955

1. IN A TIMEPIECE, IN COMBINATION, A DIAL CARRYING AN HORAL DIVISION ANDHAVING A REFERENCE POINT IN A PREDETERMINED POSITION RELATIVE TO THEHORAL DIVISION, A MOVABLE ORIENTING MEMBER ON SAID DIAL CONSTITUTED BY AMASSIVE RECEPTACLE FOR LUMINESCENT MATERIAL, AND RESILIENT MEANSCONNECTING SAID ORIENTING MEMBER TO THE DIAL AND PERMITTING THISORIENTING MEMBER TO OSCILLATE IN A VISIBLE MANNER ON EITHER SIDE OF SAIDREFERENCE POINT.